The piece explores humanity’s connection to natural rhythms and the spiritual significance of seasonal changes, linking them to Catholic practices like the Liturgy of the Hours. It reflects on historical events, such as the Christmas truce of 1914, and emphasizes the importance of rest, nature, and divine presence in everyday life.
Tag Archives: Moral Theory
If God Is Love…
by Joseph Stoutzenberger When I was a child, I loved movies. As a paperboy, if I paid my bill in full by 10:00 Saturday morning I received a pass to our local movie theater. (My small home town had only one theater.) I attended many Saturday matinees. I took it to heart when a characterContinue reading “If God Is Love…”
Is the Church Worth Saving?
The author reflects on friends who abandon religion, particularly former Catholics critical of the church. Despite flaws, many inspired by their faith have made significant contributions, like Abbe de l’Epee, who advanced education for the deaf, and the charity work of Frederic Ozanam and Catholic nuns, highlighting the positive impact of faith-driven actions.
St. Francis of Assisi and Nature
by Joseph Stoutzenberger A few years ago, a publisher approached me about writing a book about Francis of Assisi and nature. I knew Francis is associated with love of creation and is the patron saint of the environment. His statues with birds on his shoulder and other animals at his feet in gardens everywhere attestContinue reading “St. Francis of Assisi and Nature”
Know Thyself
by Joseph Stoutzenberger A professor of mine at Temple University, David Harrington Watt, insisted that it is important in scholarship to let readers know who we are and what has influenced the positions that we are expressing. In my writing, I have always stayed away from talking about myself. If I wrote about, for instance,Continue reading “Know Thyself”
What Does It Mean to be Anti-Racist?
by Joseph Stoutzenberger When Ibram X. Kendi, a fellow Temple University Ph. D., published How to Be an Anti-Racist a few years ago, I immediately got the point. Someone can say, “I am not racist,” or “I harbor no animosity toward members of other races.” Given conditions in the world today, that is not enough.Continue reading “What Does It Mean to be Anti-Racist?”
Children and Visionaries
by Joseph Stoutzenber I was sitting in a newly redecorated university chapel next to an artist friend of mine. I asked him what he thought of the ornate crucifix behind the altar. He responded, “It pretends to be art.” Despite the many failed attempts at artistic expression intended to open one’s gaze to the holyContinue reading “Children and Visionaries”
Crossing Over and Coming Back
by Joseph Stoutzenberger I spent sixteen years going to Catholic-affiliated schools, so when I graduated from college, I decided to learn about other religions on my own. I recall sitting on the beach at the Jersey shore reading the Qur’an when everyone around me seemed to be reading fluff mystery novels. I moved on toContinue reading “Crossing Over and Coming Back”
America, Catholicism, and Race
by Joseph Stoutzenberger In the 1830s, a man who worked common jobs named William Otter kept a journal about his travels through the mid-Atlantic states. He spent some time in my hometown, Columbia, PA, on the banks of the Susquehanna, founded by a Quaker family to ferry people across the river. Columbia is not tooContinue reading “America, Catholicism, and Race”
Hope in a Warming World
By Joseph Stoutzenberger Some friends and I were talking about the crises we are facing today. Someone said, “Every generation has its crises to deal with.” I thought about that. As horrible as they were, no one thought that World Wars I and II would bring about the end of life on earth. Earlier pandemicsContinue reading “Hope in a Warming World”
Joseph Stoutzenberger 